Paul Barrett Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 (edited) Echo what dave said. its all practice, more you do the better you’ll get. Edited June 4, 2018 by Paul Barrett 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Cheers lads, appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 4, 2018 Author Share Posted June 4, 2018 Quiz time: why did I need to order myself some new fuel hose today and a new fire extinguisher? Clue: yesterdays welding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 Decided to spend the few minutes between getting home from work and having Dinner exploring the rust in the spare wheel well. My trusty knotted wire wheel reveals all.. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. To be honest, I actually expected worse - and with my new found meltal working and welding skills it doesnt really hold any fears for me now. Have a nice evening all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike. Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Would it be more economical and a longer lasting repair to buy a new replacement spare wheel well which is readily available now, cut out and remove all the rust in one go rather than to spend time making up all the small patches, I know this may go against your principles but that’s the option I would take........(the easy one) they are actually not too bad to fit, just a small amount of fetteling then job done. Your boot strengthner may need a little work at the bottom at the same time when access is easy. Remember when you are cutting, welding and grinding in the area of the fuel tank it would be better removed, another job to do but peace of mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 Thanks for your advice Mike, much appreciated - where can I source the wheel well from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike. Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 TJ Motorsport have them in stock at the moment. Check his website online, you can also get his phone number from there as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 6, 2018 Author Share Posted June 6, 2018 This evening made a start on the edge of the spare wheel well, the point where it meets the lower side of the rear quarter panel. Firstly the knotted wire wheel revealed the extend of the rot: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Then I started to cut it away (outside and inside) to get back to solid metal: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Over the next couple of days I can make up some repair panels and hopefully get those welded in at the weekend. I'm pretty confident I can fix the area with few problems. Have a good evening folks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cam.in.head Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Hi ian. Sounds like you are getting well and truly stuck in now and the fun of making repairs and seeing the car take shape is very satisfying to you no doubt.i prefer to do it your way too. Some people swap sections as a whole ,some people repair what’s there.like you do. A guy once told me years ago two of his recommendations. always buy the best condition you can get for the money as its easier to do and don’t remove unnnesesarry metal to make a repair cos you never know in the future if you need to repair that area again the repair will be harder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 Made up the repair panels this evening for the boot to rear quarter area. Hopefully I can get those welded in tomorrow. Plus.... I had a result tonight on EBay - I picked up a pretty decent used NSF wing for only £8.00 !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 9, 2018 Author Share Posted June 9, 2018 This is the wing that I won earlier: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mk1-Cavalier-Passenger-Front-Wing-Berlinetta-/123166548323?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=nPk%2FY%2BNw%2FLWzO1qxoxaIjjOHLG8%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc Its way better than the one that came off the car. I was going to try to patch repair the original, but at £8.00 why bother - it would cost me more in sheet Steel, welding wire and filler... Had a late night tonight. Decided I would make a start on the NS boot area to rear quarter panel. This is as far as I got: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. I will grind down all visible welds tomorrow, err actually today looking at the time lol Good night all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cam.in.head Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Hi ian. Yes i saw that wing. Looks ok from what you can see. And certainly easier than repairing yours. The bottoms of wings and arches if need be can be easily repaired but its the top corner and the bottom by the indicator that are hardest.and they are the bits that usually go first. In fact anywhere along the top can go due to constant bombardment from road dirt being thrown up inside. if and when you get the new wing fitted make sure it is well protected/ watertight in those areas. your doing a great job (i hope you are anyway cos i cant see pictures ! !) and will end up with a smart car thats getting rare and still alive due to your efforts and abilities.the reason why we enjoy it so much ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monaco Blue Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 13 minutes ago, cam.in.head said: your doing a great job (i hope you are anyway cos i cant see pictures ! !) Why don't you just pay the £15 to become a web member? It's not a lot really! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 I am a web member and learned a lot of those great projects that I find on this forum, worth the money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 9, 2018 Author Share Posted June 9, 2018 Some free Health & Safety advice: always make sure that you wear thick works gloves when using a grinder with a knitted wire wheel. If you wear thinner work gloves and you ‘misjudge a corner’ the wheel makes short work of destroying the glove and removing the skin on your knuckles... Don’t ask how I know this! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 9, 2018 Author Share Posted June 9, 2018 Moved around to the NSR boot to lower quarter panel area and got my friend the knotted wheel busy again. Then proceeded to cut out some more rot: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Then spent the remaining time making up some basic patches and tacking them in - much more work is needed here though... Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. One or two small holes in the metal also presented themselves, although strangely they were not rust holes. I simply used the MIG welder to slowly fill them up (to be ground flat later). Slowly the rust is getting banished from this area. Once the 'frame' is solid, I will proceed to cut out the spare wheel well and form a new one. Have a nice evening everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 Last night I stumbled across the new front and back shock absorbers that I have put away in a 'safe place'. I thought this presented a nice opportunity this afternoon to have a change from cutting out rusty Steel, make templates, welding, grinding etc etc.. (One of) the fronts before: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. And now: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. The backs after removal: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. And how they are now - slight improvement... Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Have a good afternoon everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monaco Blue Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Yep, just a slight improvement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Patches and welding looking good, for an learner who turning pro quickly, just think of what a pro or bodyshop would charge for this, 1 sill nearly came in at £500 quid, thats without paint! Keep up the good work, did i mention copper can be clamped behind holes 2 fill them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 11, 2018 Author Share Posted June 11, 2018 13 hours ago, ®evo03 said: Keep up the good work, did i mention copper can be clamped behind holes 2 fill them Yes you did, but I forgot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 11, 2018 Author Share Posted June 11, 2018 Back to welding and grinding for a while this evening - boring! Finished welding the top and edges of the lower patch panel in place, then ground down the welds a bit: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. There are some tiny pin holes to fill with weld, but generally that whole corner and lower edge is coming along fairly well now. The 'flange' that you see hanging down will be pushed up after the wheel well is cut out. I now totally agree with evo03 when he says that grinding is tedious and boring, it really is.... Anyway, Rome wasn't built in a day was it? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 12, 2018 Author Share Posted June 12, 2018 Another hole patched up in the wheel well tonight - bit tricky to work on this one. Two elbows would have been useful It needs a lot more grinding back and levelling off, but another small step forward all the same. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 15, 2018 Author Share Posted June 15, 2018 This afternoon my angle grinder fitted with a cutting disc slipped - oops! Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. This was what dropped onto the floor: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. And after drilling out the remaining spot welds, the parts were seperated: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Next stop a cardboard template, then some more metal bashing... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 Some more work on the spare wheel well this afternoon. After making a cardboard template last night, I cut out the basic Steel shape this morning and used my trusty wire wheel to clean up the tow eye: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Then started to try to form the shape. I came up with the idea of try to clamp it to the original, but first checked how closely that match the profile of the wheel itself. To be honest that really didn't work out too well, so that idea got abandoned quickly Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Then I welded the tow eye to the new patch panel, using the reference dimensions I took off the original piece: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. That tow eye will still be welded to the plate when the world comes to an end... it has a puddle welded in each corner and fillet weld around three sides. Then I quickly tacked it in the car in a couple of places: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. I detect that this panel is going to be a bit of a pain to get right, but I will take my time and use the heat generated by the tacks to help with the bending/adjustment as and when required. At the end of the day the rust will be gone, so anything is better than that! My Dad is coming around soon, hence the early finish and of course (being a Dad myself), it is my turn to be pampered tomorrow Have a good one everybody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share Posted June 17, 2018 (edited) Grabbed a sneaky hour earlier before the rest of the house woke up. Managed to get a bit more welding of the perimeter of the spare wheel patch plate done. As suspected, this is going to take me quite a while to get right as there are several subtle curves to incorporate in the main 'bowl', but this is hampered by the Steel's resistance to move due to the strength given by the tow eye. My plan is/has been to literally weld about half an inch at a time, manipulate the Steel, weld again, manipulate etc I'm hoping that this will keep the local heat in the metal (making it easier to bend) and keep the edge lined up. Then when I get to the last bit, wherever the plate is is where it is (if that makes sense..) and will be cut and shaped to suit the profile of the car. One things is for sure - the secret to plate fabrication and the success of the fit is all down to taking your time making the templates. Rush it and it shows, big time! With hindsight, I maybe should have taken a little longer with this template but the curves are difficult to replicate, then convert back to flat Steel again. It's going 'OK' so far, but the last edge might be a bit of a fight to get it to sit and look right. We shall see. ps Happy Fathers Day to all of you Dad's out there - have a good one! Edited June 17, 2018 by IanMc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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